BAGHDAD: Iraq’s Foreign Minister, Fuad Hussein, on Thursday warned of the dangers of conflict expanding in southern Lebanon and its repercussions across the Middle East. The cautionary remarks came during a meeting with his Iranian counterpart, Ali Bagheri, in Baghdad.
The near-daily cross-border fire between the Lebanon’s Hezbollah, and Israeli forces have occurred since Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7.
The situation has been exacerbated in recent weeks by intensified exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah, raising concerns of a broader regional conflict.
The Iraqi Foreign Minister stressed the interconnected nature of the conflict, emphasizing that an attack on southern Lebanon would have far-reaching repercussions across the entire region. He reiterated his call for a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip to avoid further escalation.
“If southern Lebanon is attacked, it will affect the entire region,” Iraq’s top diplomat Fuad Hussein said at a press conference with Iran’s acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri. “The expansion of the war is a danger, not only for Lebanon but for the entire region,” Hussein said.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Bagheri urged for an immediate end to Israeli “war crimes” and “genocide” in Gaza, warning against any attempts to broaden the scope of aggression. He affirmed Iran’s commitment to safeguarding regional stability and security, denouncing Israeli actions and vowing to prevent any destabilizing moves.
While experts suggest that the risk of a wider war is currently limited, recent developments have heightened tensions in the region. Hezbollah’s launch of rockets into northern Israel, coupled with Israel’s retaliatory strikes in southern Lebanon, underscores the volatile nature of the situation and the potential for further escalation.
Hezbollah promised to intensify its attacks after the killing of a top military commander the day before in an Israeli strike.
The Israeli military reported over 150 projectiles fired from Lebanon into Israel, prompting retaliatory strikes against targets in southern Lebanon.
